Exclusive Offer Only from Glassman Saab I7 Accused Man Admits Waffen-SS Involvement JILL DAVIDSON SKLAR STAFF WRITER F or Ferdinand Hammer, memory appears to be a fleeting thing. This week, the Sterling Heights man, who was accused by the U.S. government of being a former Nazi concentration camp guard, changed some of his answers to the government's com- plaint against him. Attorneys from the Depart- ment of Justice's Office of Special Investigations claim in a lawsuit originally filed in December that Mr. Hammer served as a Nazi guard in Auschwitz, Sachsen- hausen and Flossenberg death camps and on a transport to Mauthausen. The government seeks to strip Mr. Hammer of his citizenship rights and deport him. Mr. Hammer, through his at- torney William Bufalino, replied to the complaint in February, denying every government claim except his address, citizenship and issues of law and procedure. Last week, he amended his original six-page answer to the government's complaint, admit- ting to being in the Waffen-SS, an elite guard and intelligence unit of the Nazi Party of Ger- many. He allegedly served in a division known as SS-Totenkopf- sturmbann, the Death's Head Battalion. As to the government's allega- tion that he entered the Nazi Waffen-SS in October 1942, Mr. Hammer, in records filed in the United States District Court in Detroit, claimed time had blurred his memory. "Due to expiration of time he does not remember when he was drafted and further denies that he was a part of an elite guard or intelligence unit," the amended answer read. Mr. Hammer also changed his answer to a question about his birth date. In the original answer, he denied having sufficient in- formation to the government's al- legation that he was born July 20, 1921, in Lacarak, Yugoslavia, now Croatia. The new answer reads, "De- fendant is not sure of his date of birth because the records are dif- ferent than what he was told by his parents but, Defendant does admit he was born in Lacarak, Yugoslavia (Croatia)." In defense papers filed in Feb- ruary, Mr. Hammer laid the groundwork for his defense, claiming he was "as much a vic- tim of the Nazis as were any oth- er individuals." "With the alternative of arrest, torture, imprisonment, and death staring him in the face, many in- habitants of occupied countries were passively accommodating the Nazis," defense papers read. According to the government's complaint, Mr. Hammer violat- ed American law when he ob- tained an entry visa by supplying allegedly erroneous information about his wartime activities. Mr. Hammer immigrated in 1955 to the United States from Austria with the help of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953, legis- lation designed to provide assis- tance to people in war-torn European countries. Immigration documents show that when asked what his wartime residence was, Mr. Hammer replied, "1942-45 Ger- man Army." Later, on a citizen- ship application, he listed his occupation during the war as, "German Army SS 1942 to 1945." The Waffen-SS was never a part of the German army and members were not drafted into service, said John Russell, a De- partment of Justice spokesman. "It was all voluntary," Mr. Rus- sell said. Mr. Hammer could not be reached for comment this week and Mr. Bufalino did not return telephone calls. The Office of Special Investi- gations was formed in 1979 with the responsibility of looking for Nazi war criminals who had ille- gally gained United States citi- zenship. Thus far, 50 people have been stripped of their citizenship rights, 42 of whom were deport- ed. The rest were allowed to stay due to declining health. No trial date has been sched- uled. O Publicity Deadlines The normal deadline for local news and publicity items is noon Thursday, eight days prior to issue date. The deadline for birth announce- ments is 10 a.m. Monday, four days prior to issue date; out-of-town obituaries, 10 a.m. Tuesday, three days pri- or to issue date. All material must be type- written, double-spaced, on 872 x 11 paper and include the name and daytime tele- phone number Of sender. Introducing The New 1995 9000 CS 5g1M1------ by Saab 35 AT THIS PRICE! 50% OWNED BY GM '399* Luxury equipped with automatic, Power Sunroof, Power Locks & Windows, Cruise Control, AM/FM Stereo Cassette, ABS Brakes & Dual Airbags. 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